True Face of Evil
|details = This is a request from a youth in town who loves literature. He wants to know about the vilians of Water Margin, Huizong and Cai Jing. He wants to know if they really existed, and if they did, what they were really like. You heard about Water Margin from the scholar in Hangzhou, yes? Maybe he has more information he can give you. |step1 = /True Face of Cai Jing/Hangzhou/Scholar/ That youth caught an interesting point. Both Huizong and the chancellor, Cai Jing actually existed.Cai Jing became the chancellor during the age of Huizong, and all who gave him opinion were supposedly wiped out.Moreover, he took substantial tax from the people, and that money was used extravagantly by Emperor Huizong.It was a very authoritarian government. |step2 = /True Face of Huizong/Hangzhou/Scholar/ It seems Huizong did not have much interest in politics. But still he used brutal means to take taxes from the lands and acquired money. Neither Huizong or Cai Jing cared about the people.... Naturally, they earned much resentment. |step3 = /Blanket of Misrule/Hangzhou/Scholar/ The corrupt government caused constant suffering, and rebellions were ceaseless. In such a historical background, that story Water Margin was written. Was that a bit stuffy...? Go and talk with the studious youth in Yuntaishan.He should be able to give you a slightly different perspective. |step4 = /Greatest Art of the Northern Song Dynasty/Yuntaisha/Studious Youth near central Mansion/ The Hangzhou scholar said that? Maybe because I was looking for an art-related book the other day.... It's pretty well-known that Huizong was an excellent artist who was more interested in the arts than politics. He was said to have the most talent of any artist in Northern Song. |step5 = /Heavy Taxes for the Arts/Yuntaisha/Studious Youth/ It seems Cai Jing also excelled in painting and calligraphy. Both had talent for the arts apparently. The imposed heavy taxes was probably used to fund Cai Jing's art. He used it for many things, such as making garderns for landscape paintings. |step6 = /Art that Continues to be Praised/Yuntaisha/Studious Youth/ He truly had wonderful skills for hobbyists, but as an Emperor, I cannot praise his self-serving acts. Unlike his political actions, Huizong's art works are highly regarded and esteemed even today. I think the Tavern Keeper in Chongqing was pretty knowledgeable on the paintings. |step7 = /Impressions of Huizong's Painting/Chongqing/Tavern Keeper/ Huizong's paintings? Now that you mention it, I have a copy of a bird & flower painting from an acquaintance of mine. I'm no expert, but I think the painting is a fine and delicate work. The bird is lovely, and the flowers have presence despite being small. You can look at it and look at it and never get sick of it. You should take a look yourself. |stepfinal = Huizong's Painting Remains/Chongqing/near Tavern Keeper/ Huizong and Cai Jing are depicted as villains in Water Margin and though they actually rule a corrupt government in real life, they had extraordinary talent in the field of art. The beauty of Huizong's paintings is particularly well-known. A copy of one of his bird & flower paintings is particularly praised by the Tavern Keeper, and is apparently hanging in the Tavern. Go and have a look. |discoXP = 830 |cardXP = 415 |reportXP = 230 |reportfame = 105 |item1 = Quest Mediation Permit |notes = |preQ1 = quest/Book Loved by the Ming People/Search/6/Appraisal/8/Unlock/6/Water Margin |subQ1 = |chainQ1 = |landarea = Chongqing |seaarea = Western East Asia }}